Roger's RRC: An update
Roger's RRC: An update
I am currently in the process of welding the box-section sill replacement on the passenger side to match the one on the other. I have done all of the outer welding, now I just have to fabricate the mountings and weld up the remains of the old inner sill to it.
Unfortunately I have only just discovered that the two rubber body mountings at the front of the footwell are rotten. These are a pig to get to (I had to chop a hole in the footwell to get the bolt out!) and there is no way I can see of doing them other than to cut them and the footwell out completely, fab them back up and then replace the floor section. At the moment I am refusing to think about this in the hope that it will go away.
In terms of welding I have done the front, driver's side, back and half of the passenger side - I reckon I have done at least three quarters of the required welding. It would be more except for those body mounts... Because of this set-back, I am thinking of time savers now - trying to make do with things to just get through the MoT and then sort them out later.
One trick I have just discovered will remove the need to fab up a rear bumper: I was wanting something stronger than the normal thin steel thing and while looking at it I found that, after removing the end caps I can shove a piece of scaffold along it's length inside
It is a reasonable fit and with a little welding will make something FAR stronger than the original while still looking ok I hope.
Another time-saver decision I have made recently is to stick with the viscous fan. I was going to use electric (Peugeot 406: Perfect) but using the viscous one saves time and money, and next time it comes off (when I do the front crank pulley oil seal) it should be easy-peasy
I re-tested the waterproofness of the Megajolt system the other day (I keep having to do it - getting more extreme each time) with one of those plastic storage boxes full of water - heh heh hehe: I got soaked, but the engine just shrugged it off
The engine continues to start and run incredibly well with it's Megajolt system, even though it is still running rich. I had a word with my usual MoT man and he suggested that I shouldn't worry too much until and if it actually fails - he implied that a 1990 car would have to be pretty bad to fail on emissions. Still on the engine - it sounds fantastic without the last silencer so I am going to leave it like that and hope it gets through the MoT on noise too. It doesn't actually seem that loud until you give it some berries so I'll keep my fingers crossed. All I am going to do is weld in a 90deg bend in place of the last box and bring it out through the bodywork at the bottom of the wing just in front of the bumper. If it fails at MoT I can chop that off and weld on the original box in an hour or two so I think it's worth a try.
The fuel system is all piped up on the supply and return - with new pipe everywhere. Only the breather line going up to the engine remains to be fitted - this is because it will run up the other side of the car to all the others and there is still welding to be done on that side. The LPG is all plumbed in too and ready for it's first filling once I have that MoT.
The rear floor is a bit of a head scratcher. I would really like to fit new top-hat sections, but according to Paddocks nobody make pattern ones and I didn't even ask the price of genuine... At the moment I am thinking of getting them sand-blasted, but they are pretty corroded and not looking too strong as they are so what they would be like after blasting is anyones guess, but I am probably going to line out the rear floor with plywood so at least there shouldn't be any localised loading on the original wriggly alloy floor underneath.
One minor success is the repair of the sunroof and it's associated guttering. The sunroof itself would often stop in the rearmost position (they always break while open and it's about to rain - never when shut and you want to open them! Anyway - it turned out to be a dodgy relay so that's done. And as for the leaking gutter - this was down to corroded holes near the corners and blocked drain pipes. The pipes cleared with compressed air (green slimy sh1t all over me when it blew back
) and the holes were cleaned up and patched with two-part epoxy putty which was then painted over. Well epoxy putty has held the oil in my Honda for the last year so I think it should manage a little rain water!
The original head lining was stripped of it's saggy cloth and the manky spongy backing stuff that remained stuck to the back-board was pressure washed off it. It is now lying on the spare bed waiting for somebody to give me some left-over vinyl silk to paint it with. I don't know what it will look like when it is done but as long as it does it's job (insulation and prevention of condensation-drips) I'll be happy.
I fitted new crystal headlights the other day ( the old ones were very rusty) but they are a little loose in the mounting and the rear waterproof cover will not fit (the are a deeper dish than the originals) In order to stop them rattling I put a line of silicone around them and only the next day realised that I wont be able to get them out to change bulbs now without cutting the sealant away... D'OH!
I get a little bonus at the end of next week and - depending on how big it is - I may actually get some wheels/tyres for the RRC that would allow me to have a go in the Disco in the mean time. I am pretty certain that I am going to push the boat out and go for Kumho KL71, 235x85x16's although they are going up so rapidly at the moment I may be forced to go for the cheaper 31x10.50x15s. One is taller, the other wider hmmm...
I still haven't found a final home for the CB (does anyone actually use them any more?) but favourite at the moment is on top of the dash. I have decided that the snatch-plates that it came with are pretty art-less and have removed them. In the process of doing this I got a screw in the wrong hole (I failed to notice the one screw as shorter than all the rest by ooh about 1.5mm, and when I put it in I shorted out one of the tracks on the PCB, effectively preventing any reception. Luckily I found the problem and once I had repositioned the screws the unit works ok, so I can once more listen with delight to the erudite discourse of 'big John' and 'Patty' who seem to do little more than buy and sell rigs, twigs and burners and burp (with distorted echo) all day
Well that's all I can think of right now - I'll still be in the Disco at RHB, but hopefully the RRC will be finished for late November.
TTFN
Roger
Unfortunately I have only just discovered that the two rubber body mountings at the front of the footwell are rotten. These are a pig to get to (I had to chop a hole in the footwell to get the bolt out!) and there is no way I can see of doing them other than to cut them and the footwell out completely, fab them back up and then replace the floor section. At the moment I am refusing to think about this in the hope that it will go away.
In terms of welding I have done the front, driver's side, back and half of the passenger side - I reckon I have done at least three quarters of the required welding. It would be more except for those body mounts... Because of this set-back, I am thinking of time savers now - trying to make do with things to just get through the MoT and then sort them out later.
One trick I have just discovered will remove the need to fab up a rear bumper: I was wanting something stronger than the normal thin steel thing and while looking at it I found that, after removing the end caps I can shove a piece of scaffold along it's length inside
It is a reasonable fit and with a little welding will make something FAR stronger than the original while still looking ok I hope.
Another time-saver decision I have made recently is to stick with the viscous fan. I was going to use electric (Peugeot 406: Perfect) but using the viscous one saves time and money, and next time it comes off (when I do the front crank pulley oil seal) it should be easy-peasy
I re-tested the waterproofness of the Megajolt system the other day (I keep having to do it - getting more extreme each time) with one of those plastic storage boxes full of water - heh heh hehe: I got soaked, but the engine just shrugged it off
The engine continues to start and run incredibly well with it's Megajolt system, even though it is still running rich. I had a word with my usual MoT man and he suggested that I shouldn't worry too much until and if it actually fails - he implied that a 1990 car would have to be pretty bad to fail on emissions. Still on the engine - it sounds fantastic without the last silencer so I am going to leave it like that and hope it gets through the MoT on noise too. It doesn't actually seem that loud until you give it some berries so I'll keep my fingers crossed. All I am going to do is weld in a 90deg bend in place of the last box and bring it out through the bodywork at the bottom of the wing just in front of the bumper. If it fails at MoT I can chop that off and weld on the original box in an hour or two so I think it's worth a try.
The fuel system is all piped up on the supply and return - with new pipe everywhere. Only the breather line going up to the engine remains to be fitted - this is because it will run up the other side of the car to all the others and there is still welding to be done on that side. The LPG is all plumbed in too and ready for it's first filling once I have that MoT.
The rear floor is a bit of a head scratcher. I would really like to fit new top-hat sections, but according to Paddocks nobody make pattern ones and I didn't even ask the price of genuine... At the moment I am thinking of getting them sand-blasted, but they are pretty corroded and not looking too strong as they are so what they would be like after blasting is anyones guess, but I am probably going to line out the rear floor with plywood so at least there shouldn't be any localised loading on the original wriggly alloy floor underneath.
One minor success is the repair of the sunroof and it's associated guttering. The sunroof itself would often stop in the rearmost position (they always break while open and it's about to rain - never when shut and you want to open them! Anyway - it turned out to be a dodgy relay so that's done. And as for the leaking gutter - this was down to corroded holes near the corners and blocked drain pipes. The pipes cleared with compressed air (green slimy sh1t all over me when it blew back
) and the holes were cleaned up and patched with two-part epoxy putty which was then painted over. Well epoxy putty has held the oil in my Honda for the last year so I think it should manage a little rain water!
The original head lining was stripped of it's saggy cloth and the manky spongy backing stuff that remained stuck to the back-board was pressure washed off it. It is now lying on the spare bed waiting for somebody to give me some left-over vinyl silk to paint it with. I don't know what it will look like when it is done but as long as it does it's job (insulation and prevention of condensation-drips) I'll be happy.
I fitted new crystal headlights the other day ( the old ones were very rusty) but they are a little loose in the mounting and the rear waterproof cover will not fit (the are a deeper dish than the originals) In order to stop them rattling I put a line of silicone around them and only the next day realised that I wont be able to get them out to change bulbs now without cutting the sealant away... D'OH!
I get a little bonus at the end of next week and - depending on how big it is - I may actually get some wheels/tyres for the RRC that would allow me to have a go in the Disco in the mean time. I am pretty certain that I am going to push the boat out and go for Kumho KL71, 235x85x16's although they are going up so rapidly at the moment I may be forced to go for the cheaper 31x10.50x15s. One is taller, the other wider hmmm...
I still haven't found a final home for the CB (does anyone actually use them any more?) but favourite at the moment is on top of the dash. I have decided that the snatch-plates that it came with are pretty art-less and have removed them. In the process of doing this I got a screw in the wrong hole (I failed to notice the one screw as shorter than all the rest by ooh about 1.5mm, and when I put it in I shorted out one of the tracks on the PCB, effectively preventing any reception. Luckily I found the problem and once I had repositioned the screws the unit works ok, so I can once more listen with delight to the erudite discourse of 'big John' and 'Patty' who seem to do little more than buy and sell rigs, twigs and burners and burp (with distorted echo) all day
Well that's all I can think of right now - I'll still be in the Disco at RHB, but hopefully the RRC will be finished for late November.
TTFN
Roger
Exhaust mod
I was so impressed by the sound of the V8 with the last silencer missing that I decided to eliminate it, and welded on a 90deg section instead so that at the same time I get a side exit exhaust.
The original pipework is a sort of low-grade stainless (the kind that rusts, but slowly) and I had read that this can easily be welded to ordinary mild steel so I gave it a go and it worked very well. Since I am using gas-less and can't get in very well with a grinder or electric wire brush, it looks a bit like pigeon cr@p, but it only has one very minor blow hole which I will plug with an extra blob of weld today.
It sounds great (at least I think so) and has the added benefit that the cabin no longer fills with fumes when running it (the boot floor is still out).
Fingers crossed for the MoT noise test.
Rog
p.s. in the picture the pipe looks very close to the rear body cross-member, but it is actually about 2cm from, and running parallel to it so I don't think that there will be any rattles from there.
I looked on the Devon 4x4 site for those finishers that surround where the exhaust goes through the bodywork, but they are a bit spendy for me so I think that mine will be made from a 3mm thick Aluminium road sign that I 'found' while ago...
The original pipework is a sort of low-grade stainless (the kind that rusts, but slowly) and I had read that this can easily be welded to ordinary mild steel so I gave it a go and it worked very well. Since I am using gas-less and can't get in very well with a grinder or electric wire brush, it looks a bit like pigeon cr@p, but it only has one very minor blow hole which I will plug with an extra blob of weld today.
It sounds great (at least I think so) and has the added benefit that the cabin no longer fills with fumes when running it (the boot floor is still out).
Fingers crossed for the MoT noise test.
Rog
p.s. in the picture the pipe looks very close to the rear body cross-member, but it is actually about 2cm from, and running parallel to it so I don't think that there will be any rattles from there.
I looked on the Devon 4x4 site for those finishers that surround where the exhaust goes through the bodywork, but they are a bit spendy for me so I think that mine will be made from a 3mm thick Aluminium road sign that I 'found' while ago...
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Aw... Bugger
The bonus I was expecting is based on share prices three years ago compared to now. It's next to worthless. No tyres this month then 
Looks like RHB is just going to be a photographic expedition after all.
Looks like RHB is just going to be a photographic expedition after all.
-
davew
- Chairman
- Posts: 2242
- Joined: Fri Jan 05, 2007 8:54 pm
- Location: Knaresborough
- Full Name: Dave White
Bugger
I have a load of old Macho 235/85 tyres behind my shed if you want to make a useable set out of them... might even be a set of wheels for them somewhere under the vegetation - I was keeping them as a set for Pam's motor but kind of redundant now I have 2 sets of wheels/tyres for mine anyway.
I'm pretty sure Pam would be pleased to see the back of them and it would give me space to collect some more junk to replace them
cheers
Dave
I have a load of old Macho 235/85 tyres behind my shed if you want to make a useable set out of them... might even be a set of wheels for them somewhere under the vegetation - I was keeping them as a set for Pam's motor but kind of redundant now I have 2 sets of wheels/tyres for mine anyway.
I'm pretty sure Pam would be pleased to see the back of them and it would give me space to collect some more junk to replace them
cheers
Dave
nicks90 wrote:if Rog doesnt want some 8 spokes, drop me a bell and i'll have them for some beer tokens.
Sorry, but - Boy do I want them!
Especially now that they stand me at nearly £40 (fuel and fitting tyres to rims/balancing etc).
I had read somewhere in some internet sales blurb, that 235/85x16s would fit the Disco with 'minimal bodywork trimming' and so I was hoping to be able to use them for RHB. Hah! Some chance... I literally couldn't even get them on the hubs unless I did some trimming, ne'mind allow for any sort of suspension/steering movement. And the trimming required would be rather more than i am prepared to do on a vehicle I intend to flog in a couple of months...
Meanwhile they look great on the RRC which I am hoping to have ready for Greenhow in November. Would Greenhow be a good place to bust my trialling cherry?
Good news: The problem with the RRC running rich appears to have gone away! I wonder if it is something to do with the latest exhaust mod which now means that the entire output of 3.9 litres is no longer directed straight into the rear of the cabin?
A quick suspension question for you RRC owners out there - how much clearance should I expect between the front axle and the bump-stops? I only have about 3" and I am thinking that maybe I have sagged a little at the front :O . It 'sits up nicely' at the rear - probably something to do with removing everything rear of the front seats except the gas tank, and moving that to just behind said front seats
Anyway - the Disco is remaining standard and will have AT tyres for RHB so I will be either marshaling or taking photos, unless it looks very dry when I may have a go. It's a long way from home if I bust anything though...
Finally here is a pic of the RRC with it's big boots on:
p.s. Anyone know how to get rid of the double sided tape that used to hold the side rubbers on?
p.p.s How do i get uploaded photos in the middle of a post rather than at the end please?
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Re: tyres
Hi Matthew,
The Colways sound perfect for the Disco, but there are certain caveats...
How worn are they? I have measured the Disco and done some calcs and IF the Colways have a max diameter of 30" then I think I would like to give them a go. The calculated size of these tyres is 30.25" when new, but I am aware that tyres do vary from expected, so would it be possible for you to measure them (but only if they are handy)?
The other consideration is that I am totally spent-up this month (went into the red again last month, have to try to catch up this month). Therefore I wouldn't be able to do even this deal until after payday.
So - all in all, yes I would like to buy the tyres if they are less than 30", not too worn, and if you still have them at the end of the month... But in the words of Hooper in Jaws: "Don't wait for me!" (i.e. if you get another offer - take it).
The fitting I would take care of myself thanks.
Roger
The Colways sound perfect for the Disco, but there are certain caveats...
How worn are they? I have measured the Disco and done some calcs and IF the Colways have a max diameter of 30" then I think I would like to give them a go. The calculated size of these tyres is 30.25" when new, but I am aware that tyres do vary from expected, so would it be possible for you to measure them (but only if they are handy)?
The other consideration is that I am totally spent-up this month (went into the red again last month, have to try to catch up this month). Therefore I wouldn't be able to do even this deal until after payday.
So - all in all, yes I would like to buy the tyres if they are less than 30", not too worn, and if you still have them at the end of the month... But in the words of Hooper in Jaws: "Don't wait for me!" (i.e. if you get another offer - take it).
The fitting I would take care of myself thanks.
Roger
Re: tyres
I had to do a bit of extra work-work today so didn't have too much time for fun-work, so I only managed a few small jobs.
I replaced all of the Range Rover (for alloy) wheel nuts with Land Rover items, and discovered that the wheel centres of the steel wheels don't appear to be flat... At least they took a fair bit of pulling down on the nuts... Hmm - I just thought, maybe I should take them off and look at the hubs...
I checked the tyre clearances on full lock and both sides clear, but only by about 5mm. Is this enough though? Does the clearance get better or worse with suspension travel and/or articulation? My brain hurts
I also slipped a length (ooh Matron) of scaffold pipe in the rear bumper and welded it in place. I now need to beef-up the mountings and then I should have a heavy-duty but reasonable 'stealth' rear bumper. (Don't worry, I held my breath and ground off the galvanising before welding )
I have been measuring up at the front and I reckon that if the axle comes straight up then the tyres will just catch both sides and so I either need to cut away further (I don't really want to do that) or - and this is the radical thought - space out the wings. I reckon that if I put a 12mm spacer between the wing and it's mounting it will give me the clearance I need, while not (hopefully) looking too weird. Any thoughts on that?
The only other thing I did tonight was hole-saw through the scuttle (?) for the B&Q snorkel. There was a corroding old aerial hole in that spot anyway so I didn't feel like I was being a vandal or anything.
Well - soon time for bed.
See you in RHB!
Roger
I replaced all of the Range Rover (for alloy) wheel nuts with Land Rover items, and discovered that the wheel centres of the steel wheels don't appear to be flat... At least they took a fair bit of pulling down on the nuts... Hmm - I just thought, maybe I should take them off and look at the hubs...
I checked the tyre clearances on full lock and both sides clear, but only by about 5mm. Is this enough though? Does the clearance get better or worse with suspension travel and/or articulation? My brain hurts
I also slipped a length (ooh Matron) of scaffold pipe in the rear bumper and welded it in place. I now need to beef-up the mountings and then I should have a heavy-duty but reasonable 'stealth' rear bumper. (Don't worry, I held my breath and ground off the galvanising before welding
)
I have been measuring up at the front and I reckon that if the axle comes straight up then the tyres will just catch both sides and so I either need to cut away further (I don't really want to do that) or - and this is the radical thought - space out the wings. I reckon that if I put a 12mm spacer between the wing and it's mounting it will give me the clearance I need, while not (hopefully) looking too weird. Any thoughts on that?
The only other thing I did tonight was hole-saw through the scuttle (?) for the B&Q snorkel. There was a corroding old aerial hole in that spot anyway so I didn't feel like I was being a vandal or anything.
Well - soon time for bed.
See you in RHB!
Roger
Re: tyres
TwoSheds wrote:and discovered that the wheel centres of the steel wheels don't appear to be flat... At least they took a fair bit of pulling down on the nuts... Hmm - I just thought, maybe I should take them off and look at the hubs...
I checked the tyre clearances on full lock and both sides clear, but only by about 5mm. Is this enough though? Does the clearance get better or worse with suspension travel and/or articulation? My brain hurts
Roger
i seem to remember reading somewhere that steelies shouldnt be flat - and are supposed to have a slight curve that is forced flat against the hub by the torque of the wheelnuts. Ensures a constant pressure is exerted on the back of the wheelnuts to prevent them vibrating loose or something......
you have tyre clearance from your radius arms?????
Wind em in till they go "click click click" on full lock. Wasted turning circle otherwise. Then wind em back out for 1 day a year (the MOT)
Note to self: the bolt heads on both my lockstops sheered off years ago and i have my mot tomorrow - must remember to superglue on some nuts to space it out tonight so the tyres dont rub.
Bugger!
Another bloody dent...
Another bloody dent...
Re: tyres
Matthews wrote:Roger I have 4 colway MT's in a 245/75/16 which you can have for a tenner a piece if they are any good to you , I can fit them for a fiver a piece but can't balance them .
Matthew
Matthew,
After the weekend's drive I decided that the Disco engine really doesn't inspire me with any confidence at all and so I am not going to spend anything more on it until I sell it. Sorry, but I will have to go back on what I said earlier: I will not be wanting the tyres after all.
Very sorry for any inconvenience caused - hope you find a buyer soon.
Roger
Re: Exhaust mod
I have reached a little milestone today - the left rear quarter as far as the C pillar is finished welding and I did a little trial fit of the wing. Drilled the hole for my exhaust and was 1cm out lots of filing to do now..
Finding time is a bit tricksy at the moment - work are wanting me to do overtime, but next I think is the front quarter (footwell and body mounting etc.) which I should get onto at the weekend.
Rog
lots of filing to do now..
Finding time is a bit tricksy at the moment - work are wanting me to do overtime, but next I think is the front quarter (footwell and body mounting etc.) which I should get onto at the weekend.
Rog
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